WikiLeaks Exposes Clintonian Cultural Cluelessness

It used to be that in order to witness a high-powered political aide go gaga over the likes of Kendall Jenner or Candace Cameron-Bure, one needed to hang around the Washington Hilton lobby during the White House Correspondents Dinner. But thanks to Julian Assange, Vladimir Putin, and shadowy Russian intelligence units Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear, the WikiLeaks release of Democratic operatives' emails has laid bare the odd ways powerful people speak truth to celebrity.

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If the email leaks are any evidence, the average Clinton campaign operative's pop culture smarts—right-wing radio claims of Clinton coziness with Hollywood be damned—lags behind the nerdiest E! intern. Clinton staffers don't use their work email to discuss the latest episode of The Walking Dead, argue about Beyoncé lyrics, or even talk about Old People Stuff. Instead, their references to Hollywood are, at best, strained.

In 2012, Anne-Marie Slaughter, who did a short stint in the State department before returning to teach at Princeton, wrote to Huma Abedin to say that her son thought "S." – an unidentified staffer—looked like Lisa Kudrow. Abedin, forwarding it on to Clinton herself, remarked, rather awkwardly: "This is a nice compliment[.] Lisa is an attractive actress!" And her Friends character Phoebe often sings poorly and has a friend named Rachel!

In the fall of 2015, the hip-hop star Q-Tip asked for his very own meeting with Hillary Clinton. John Podesta wrote to his colleagues that, "I think we should do this. Could use a lift in this space." What space did he mean? Another Clinton staffer clarified: "A Q-Tip collaboration w/an older act could be interesting.... bridge the generation gap and keep us hip!" Fun anniversary fact: A Tribe Called Quest's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, came out 25 years prior.

Also in the fall of 2015, Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri forwarded John an event invitation to the Television Industry Advocacy Awards. The event gave awards to Laverne Cox, Eva Longoria, Anthony Anderson, Tim Robbins, Alan Cumming, Jeffrey Tambor, and Alfre Woodard, among others. "I don't think I should be in the celebrity business. Besides Eva Langoria [sic] and Tim Robbins, I have never heard of any of those people," replied Podesta. "Laverne Cox is transgender actress. That's about all I can offer," Palmieri replied.

In May of this year, a documentarian Drew Magratten wrote to Debbie Wasserman Schultz's congressional press secretary Geoff Burgan to ask if the then-DNC chair might participate in the second season of his series on climate change, which was set to be narrated by none other than Bradley Whitford, who played beloved 90s television icon and West Wing hero Josh Lyman. The press secretary forwarded it on to DNC staff with the note, "Could be very neat opportunity for DWS [Debbie Wasserman Schultz]. Huge social/pop culture implications… plus I love Josh/Bradley Whitford." Don't we all, Geoff. But considering The West Wing went off the air ten years ago, could we interest you in a star of Scandal? No? We'll check back in 2027.